No sign of black boxes from China Eastern Airlines plane crash
- Aviation officials say that the investigation has just started and that it is not yet possible to say why the plane went down
- Aircraft came down in a heavily wooded area in southern China
“The aircraft was severely damaged, making the investigation very difficult. The investigation has just started and it is still impossible to clearly pinpoint the cause of the accident,” Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) aviation safety director Zhu Tao said.
“The investigation team will collect evidence from all parties, focusing on the search for flight recorders at the crash site and carry out analysis of the cause of the accident.”
02:43
China Eastern crash investigators seek clues from flight data and video of plane’s final moments
The plane disappeared en route to Guangzhou after taking off from Kunming, in southwestern Yunnan province.
It had been flying at almost 8,900 metres (29,200 feet) before slowing down and losing altitude at 2.19pm. Three minutes later, when its altitude was recorded at about 1,300 metres, it disappeared from the radar, according to Chinese civil aviation data provider VariFlight.
Sun Shiying, chairman of China Eastern Airlines’ Yunnan branch, said the aircraft, which was less than seven years old, met conditions for flying before take-off and its nine crew members were experienced and in good health.
He said the company was working with authorities to provide resources and was in contact with family members of all 123 passengers to offer help. He added that the company would look for hidden safety risks and ensure safety in its operations.
A 600-member team of armed police, firefighters and militia have been sent to the remote valley in Guangxi to look for two black boxes, which could help reconstruct what happened before the plane went down.
State broadcaster CCTV said the rain at the crash site could make the search even more difficult.
Shards of wreckage from the wings and fuselage of the Boeing 737-800 have been recovered, together with several identity cards, wallets and banknotes, according to CCTV footage.
Police marked dozens of pieces of wreckage and cordoned off the mountainous area, with only state media allowed at the scene.
The CAAC has also ordered a two-week industrywide safety inspection to uncover “hidden dangers” within air traffic control units, airlines, airport operators and flight training institutes.
The administration has urged the industry to step up safety in aircraft maintenance, personnel qualifications, operational skills and aviation security.
Relatives and friends of the passengers on board said police in Kunming and Hunan province visited late on Monday to collect DNA samples from family members.
In Teng county, the father of an 18-year-old student who was on the flight, said he and two other family members were not allowed into the village near the crash site.
“We don’t want to create trouble for the authorities but we need to know the situation there,” he said.
“Please let us go to the crash site and learn about the rescue progress. If [my son] is alive, let me see him. If he is dead, let me see his body.”
“I’m devastated ... The airline did not answer our questions. They only asked us to stay here and wait.”
01:43
Boeing 737 plane crashes in China’s southern Guangxi with 132 people on board
Guangzhou resident Xiao Fang said her friend, the sister of a 35-year-old man on the plane, asked her for help to check for further information about the investigation at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Tuesday afternoon “because the family couldn’t get information on the ground in Kunming”.
“He was the backbone of his family, with an elderly mother, a young wife, and a son who was only a year old. They are all in immense grief right now,” she said.
She said a police officer visited his home in Kunming to collect a DNA sample from his mother on Monday night, but no other information was provided.
“The family needs more help.”
Vice-Premier Liu He, who also heads the State Council’s Work Safety Committee, and State Councillor Wang Yong were assigned to oversee rescue and investigation work after President Xi Jinping said on Monday that he was “shocked to learn” of the crash.
Leaders from around the world offered their condolences, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Before Monday, the most recent fatal accident was on August 24, 2010, when a Henan Airlines flight from Harbin crashed while approaching the airport in Yichun, Jilin province.
The Brazilian-made ERJ-190 plane touched down in low visibility several hundred metres short of the runway, breaking in two and killing 44 of the 96 people on board.
Additional reporting by Jane Cai and Jack Lau
